In general, a conventional temperature controller for controlling the temperature of a target of temperature control such as a heat transfer plate controls the temperature of the target with a heater provided in the target, causing a refrigerant in a refrigerant circulation line to circulate in the case of controlling the temperature of the target so that the temperature is lower than or equal to room temperature, and stopping circulation of the refrigerant in the case of controlling the temperature of the target so that the temperature is higher than room temperature. By this method, the temperature of the target is controlled to be in the range of −70° C. to 200° C., for example. FIG. 1 shows a conceptual flow diagram of a conventional temperature controller.
The temperature controller includes an open-to-atmosphere refrigerant tank 104, a refrigerator R′ that cools a refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104, a target of temperature control (hereinafter referred to as “heat transfer plate P′”) having its temperature controlled with the refrigerant 103 and a heat transfer plate heater 110, a refrigerant cooling line L1′ that circulates the refrigerant 103 between the refrigerant tank 104 and the refrigerator R′, and a refrigerant circulation line L2′ that circulates the refrigerant 103 between the refrigerant tank 104 and the heat transfer plate P′.
The heat transfer plate P′ includes a refrigerant passage 109 through which the refrigerant 103 circulating in the refrigerant circulation line L2′ flows, and the heat transfer plate heater 110 that heats the heat transfer plate P′. The temperature of the heat transfer plate P′ is controlled to be a predetermined setpoint by the refrigerant 103 flowing through the refrigerant passage 109 and the heat transfer plate heater 110. The heat transfer plate P′ includes a heat transfer plate temperature sensor 110a for detecting the temperature of the heat transfer plate P′ and controlling the heat transfer plate temperature heater 110 so that the temperature of the heat transfer plate P′ equals the predetermined setpoint.
The refrigerator R′ includes a compressor 101 and a heat exchanger 102. A circulation circuit in which a compressor-side refrigerant flows from the compressor 101 through the heat exchanger 102 to the compressor 101 in the arrow direction shown in FIG. 1 is formed in the refrigerator R′. The heat exchanger 102 includes a compressor-side refrigerant passage 102a through which the compressor-side refrigerant flows and a refrigerant passage 102b through which the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 flows. The refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 flows through this refrigerant passage 102b to be cooled in the refrigerator R′.
The refrigerant cooling line L1′ controls the temperature of the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 in accordance with the predetermined setpoint of the heat transfer plate P′. The refrigerant cooling line L1′ includes the refrigerant passage 102b, the refrigerant tank 104, a circulating pump 105 that pumps the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 into the refrigerant passage 102b, and a flow control valve 106 that controls the flow rate of the refrigerant 103 flowing through the refrigerant cooling line L1′. As a result, the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 circulates from the refrigerant tank 104 through the circulating pump 105, the refrigerant passage 102b, and the flow control valve 106 to the refrigerant tank 104 in the refrigerant cooling line L1′.
The flow control valve 106 is controlled by a refrigerant temperature sensor 106a provided at the refrigerant tank 104. The flow control valve 106 controls the flow rate of the refrigerant 103 flowing through the refrigerant passage 102b, thereby controlling the temperature of the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 so that the temperature corresponds to the predetermined setpoint of the heat transfer plate P′.
The refrigerant circulation line L2′ controls the temperature of the heat transfer plate P′. The refrigerant circulation line L2′ includes the refrigerant passage 109 formed in the heat transfer plate P′, the refrigerant tank 104, a circulation line pump 107 that pumps the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 into the refrigerant passage 109, and a circulation line heater 108. As a result, the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 circulates from the refrigerant tank 104 through the circulation line pump 107, the circulation line heater 108, and the refrigerant passage 109 to the refrigerant tank 104 in the refrigerant circulation line L2′.
The temperature controller thus configured operates as follows. In the case of controlling the temperature of the heat transfer plate P′ so that the temperature is lower than or equal to room temperature, the refrigerator R′ and the circulating pump 105 are operated to cause the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 to circulate in the refrigerant cooling line L1′, and the flow rate of the refrigerant 103 flowing through the refrigerant passage 102b is controlled by the flow control valve 106 so that the temperature of the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 is controlled to correspond to the predetermined setpoint of the heat transfer plate P′.
At the same time, the circulation line pump 107 and the heat transfer plate heater 110 of the refrigerant circulation line L2′ are operated so that the circulation line pump 107 pumps the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 into the refrigerant passage 109 of the heat transfer plate P′ and the temperature of the heat transfer plate P′ is controlled with the refrigerant 103 pumped into the refrigerant passage 109 and the heat transfer plate heater 110 provided in the heat transfer plate P′. The heat transfer plate heater 110 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the heat transfer plate sensor 110a so that the temperature of the heat transfer plate P′ is equal to the predetermined setpoint. The refrigerant 103 pumped into the refrigerant passage 109 is returned to the refrigerant tank 104 after performing heat exchange with the heat transfer plate P′.
In the case of changing the setpoint of the heat transfer plate P′ from a temperature lower than or equal to room temperature, for example, −40° C., to a temperature higher than room temperature, for example, 200° C., the circulation line pump 107 is operated and the circulation line heater 108 and the heat transfer plate heater 110 are operated so as to raise the temperature of the refrigerant 103 circulating in the refrigerant circulation line L2′. At this point, the operation of the refrigerator R′ and the circulating pump 105 is stopped. When the temperature of the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 has risen to a predetermined temperature, for example, 10° C. (where the refrigerant 103 remains liquid), the operation of the circulation line pump 107 is stopped to stop circulation of the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant circulation line L2′, and the operation of the circulation line heater 108 is stopped. After the temperature of the refrigerant 103 in the refrigerant tank 104 has risen to 10° C., the temperature of the heat transfer plate P′ is raised by the heat transfer plate heater 110 to 200° C. Thereafter, the heat transfer plate heater 110 controls the temperature of the heat transfer plate P′ so that the temperature equals the setpoint of 200° C. based on the temperature detected by the heat transfer plate temperature sensor 110a. 
Prior-art documents regarding the temperature controller include the following Patent Document 1, and prior-art documents regarding the heat transfer plate include the following Patent Documents 2 and 3.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-148852
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-124558
[Patent Document 3] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-353297